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Economics IA Format and Structure
By Roxanne
•
December 29, 2023
Do you have one of the three Economics IAs coming up and you need some inspiration on how to get started? Look no further, as Clastify is here to help support you through the writing process! In this guide, we will give you some key points to keep in mind when writing your Economics IA, based on our experience with IB. The guide below is just an example of how a good IA should be structured, however, keep in mind that many high-scoring IAs may also use other structures. For examples of some well-structured IAs, head to the Clastify website where you can read through multiple exemplar IAs!
Economics IA Format and Structure
The guide will be broken up by section to help you better understand what is required in each part of the IA and will have examples linked (in green), as follows:
Cover page:
Include the title of the article used (as well as the link if it is an online source).
Include the data that the article was published.
Include the data that the commentary was written.
Add the word count of the commentary, which should not exceed 800 words.
Mention the unit of the syllabus to which the article relates (microeconomics, macroeconomics, global economy).
Example: This IA is a good example of how to structure the cover page.
Article:
Include the full text from the article used.
The chosen article should preferably be around 1 page long.
If the article is longer than 1 page, you must highlight the relevant sections of the article that you want the examiner to read.
Example: The article chosen in this commentary is slightly longer than 1 page so the student has highlighted the relevant sections that they wish to be read.
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Main commentary:
Start with a statement of the contents of the article. What is the main economic topic that the article is focused on (eg: price ceilings in microeconomics, tariffs in macroeconomics, etc)?
Include information from the article that highlights the main economic topic (eg: what price level did the government set the price ceiling to, or what was the percentage change in the interest rates?).
Mention information from the article that includes why the company/government took these steps to make changes. Were the prices too high/demand too low, was inflation too high, was the currency being devalued, etc.?
Include a graph showing the state of the economy before the change was made (eg: what were supply and demand like before an increase in interest rates, quantity of imports and exports before and after changes in tariffs, etc.).
Include a detailed description of this graph. Make sure the graph has a title and the axes are correctly labelled. Draw arrows on the graph to show any changes in price and output. The graph should be produced electronically instead of being hand-drawn. Make sure the graph has a figure caption.
Next, describe how the change imposed by the form or government could affect market equilibrium. (eg: Is aggregate demand changed? What factors of aggregate demand are affected and how?)
Include a second graph showing the effects of the imposed policy on market equilibrium - how does the economy change from the conditions in the first graph? Draw arrows on the graph to show any changes in price and output. The graph should be produced electronically instead of being hand-drawn. Make sure the graph has a figure caption.
Finally, critically evaluate the imposed policy. Analyze its advantages and disadvantages, and consider how it affects different stakeholders in an economy (eg: expansionary fiscal policy improves the lives of common citizens by lowering taxes but reduces the funds available to the government).
Conclude the commentary in 3-4 sentences with a general overview of the key points discussed in the previous paragraphs.
Examples: Example 1 and Example 2 are good economics IAs that incorporate the above points into the commentaries.
We hope this guide helps guide you in properly formatting and structuring your Economics IA! If you want to read some exemplary IAs before you start writing, we've got you covered too! Simply head to the Clastify website, where you will be able to find numerous Economics IA ideas and examples, so you can look for the ones that are the most relevant to your topic. Good luck!
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